


Average Guitar Strings

by CupOfEarleGrey



Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Budding Romance, Fluff, Gen, Singing, guitar playing, request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-09
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2020-06-25 08:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19742029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CupOfEarleGrey/pseuds/CupOfEarleGrey
Summary: "I was wondering what Javier would think of a reader who is just kinda average at everything, doesn’t stick out a whole lot, but one day asks Javier to borrow his guitar and suddenly plays and sings the most beautiful thing he’s ever heard. Voice an angel would be jealous of. Would he fall in love maybe? (If you are interested in writing this! I ♡ u)" - cleverslimepruneeggs (tumblr)A tumblr request filled by meee





	Average Guitar Strings

Javier had nestled himself in a quiet corner of the camp. The afternoon sun shone down upon him as he strummed titbits of tunes on his guitar. Quiet times were rare and so he spent the precious few he had burning off his creative energy. Usually he perched himself somewhere more publicly, playing a tune for the ladies as they worked or inviting others to the campfire. Not now though, for now he wanted the freedom of no audience.  
Much to his annoyance, it didn’t take long for you to magically appear by his side. He often found that his playing drew your presence regardless of your current occupation. But damn if he didn’t want some space right now. He continued to play, even though his shoulders had grown tense which caused him to skip or botch notes.

You sat soundlessly beside him, making no comment on the misplayed notes. He supposed you could hardly tell that they were, having no incline of musical talent in your body.  
Eventually he grew so impatient with his foiled musing that he stopped playing with a rough brush of his fingers on the strings, sending out ear-splitting notes.  
“What do you want?” He demanded harshly, wanting to take his frustration out on you.  
“I didn’t mean to bother you.” You responded calmly. “I wanted to borrow your guitar.”

Javier stared at you in disbelief. His guitar was his most prized possession, being one of the few parts of his life in Mexico that he had left. Handing it over to someone with no idea how to work it was on par with handing it to a clumsy child.  
“What for?” He asked suspiciously, unsure whether you were tricking him.  
“To play, of course.” You smiled nervously. “I used to when I was younger and I felt the need…”  
He watched as your voice trailed away and you began fumbling awkwardly with the buttons on your shirt. He had never heard you so much as hum. In fact, he had never seen you show any particular talent. You could handle yourself and brought in plenty of dollars, but you were nothing exceptional. You were thoroughly average. Even so, he couldn’t help but feel curious about your supposed abilities.

So, despite all his reservations, he carefully passed his guitar to you. He watched as you gripped it with clear familiarity, placing your fingers against the strings and giving them testing plucks. After trying out each string a few times and adjusting your grip accordingly, you began an unfamiliar tune.  
To his surprise, you played with no small amount of skill. A sweet, almost sad, lilting melody began to fill the surrounding air. Javier’s eyes went wide at the deftness of your skilled fingers.  
He was about to compliment you when you opened your mouth and began to sing.  
Your voice swelled in a beautiful, melodic tone he would only have attributed to an angel, singing heartfelt words of love and longing.

Words and breath failed him as he watched, utterly entranced by your previously concealed talent. Your cheeks flared with colour as you continued, singing just loud enough for him to hear. But as the melody continued, and you got deeper into the lyrics, you lost yourself to emotion. Eyes falling closed, letting your feelings swell into the words, forgetting all about your shyness and nerves. All the while Javier hung onto your every syllable, overwhelmed with an emotion of his own. Until you opened your mouth to sing, he had hardly noticed how beautiful you were.

Now that you were sat inches from him, lost in the music of your soul and sharing it with the voice of an angel, he realised the full force of who you were. An unsung member of his family, so easily overlooked and neglected that even he was guilty. Yet you never complained, never tried to prove yourself, never pushed to be the best. Comfortable to be who you were, completely unaware you had talent to challenge any musician in the world.  
Slowly, your song drew to its inevitable end. You played out the last few notes, gradually lowering the volume until it petered out.

With a small smile, you slowly handed Javier back his guitar. He took it instinctively, barely noticing that he was doing it.  
“Thanks, Javier.” You nodded and got to your feet. He watched, truly speechless as you walked away, wiping off the tears that had rolled quietly down your face. Your absence allowed him to process everything that had just happened uninterrupted. He wanted to, no, _needed_ to hear you sing again and again. He could never grow tired of such an incredible voice. He needed to play for you, to have you sing along to his playing. It was a yearning ache that reminded him uncomfortably of the words you had sung.

He got up and began following you, eager to discover exactly how you had hidden that talent for so long… and to uncover if he could tap into those previously unknown emotional depths you had displayed only to him.


End file.
